Swan's Freedom
by Rosa Cotton
Summary: Swan Lake They are gone, the storm is over…


Disclaimer: Swan Lake, all characters, places, and related terms are not mine; they belong to whoever owns the rights to it.

* * *

Swan's Freedom

One moment rain and hail is beating down on us; the wind screaming; the waves of the lake reaching out menacingly for the still body – part owl, part human – of Rothbart. The next everything is still and quiet as the rain, hail, and wind all stop, and the waters of the lake recede.

Unable to control my shaking, I press closer to the other maidens. Silent, we stare at the calming waters. There is no sign of Rothbart's body…or of our Queen's and the Prince's. The tears that have streamed seemingly endlessly down my cheeks since Odette's return now lessen. And the emotions that have whirled through me tonight -- worry, despair, fear, rage, and grief – melt away leaving me exhausted, uncertain, wondering.

Suddenly I notice a group of men approaching us. It takes me a moment to recognize them from the night before as those who were with the Prince.

"Please, noble maidens," one man I recall named Benno steps closer with a respectful bow, "have you seen Prince Siegfried?" His face is dark with concern.

Lysanne, the oldest of us, points towards the now peaceful lake. "He followed our Queen to her watery death. She would not live the rest of her life a swan," she answers softly.

I lower my head, my heart breaking at the stricken expressions on the men's faces, and a new sense of grief falls over me. _Forever a swan…_ I shiver. My arms will sprout wings, my neck will grow long and thin, my legs will become orange and short. For the last time. I feel a strange mixture of sadness and resignation.

I have no family to weep over, whom I shall not see again. My father died when I was an infant, and I have no siblings. Mother was killed by a hunter; and Rothbart told me my dear grandparents, who had been well along in years when last I saw them, were dead. So I have only myself in this world now. No family or friends to think of, to draw comfort and pain from. Perhaps I shall forget what it was like to be a young girl, to feel the cold ground beneath my bare feet, feel the night breeze brush my hair, to enjoy being human for a few hours. Maybe I'll forget it all—

"It is _dawn!_" Anna whispers beside me, waking me from my thoughts.

Dawn?

The word spreads among my swan-sisters, puzzled, shocked, questioning, awed. We all look upwards to the brightening sky, where colors of purple, orange, yellow chase away the night. And then…the sun appears and reaches down to touch the lake. And tenderly kisses my face. It warms me, and I gently run my hands over my arms, smooth and free of feathers. _I am not a swan._

I stare at the lake, sunlight dancing over its surface. And I realize the death of Queen Odette and Prince Siegfried has not been in vain. Their love destroyed Rothbart, and my companions and I are free. Tears blur my vision as I bow in thanks and respect to the place they will forever rest.

"We are free!"

"The spell is broken!"

"We can go home…!

The air fills with wonder, joy, cries, and plans. It is bittersweet, this new freedom gained at such a price. I close my eyes and let the sun embrace me. I have not felt the sunshine on my face since I was ten. For five years I experienced only the moon's cool caress.

"The Queen Mother must be told what has happened," I hear Benno murmur. "If you return with us to the castle, arrangements may be made to help you return to your homes..."

While the maidens move towards him, I linger at the lake. I bite my lip. This lake and its bank have been my cage and home for a long time; its water quenched my thirst and its reeds satisfied my hunger. Yet now where will I fly with my new freedom, alone? Home, which will be strange and perhaps even unfamiliar? Or maybe I will stay in this kingdom, begin a new future…?

"Adele?" my name reaches me softly, a gentle, warm wave.

Jostled from my thoughts, I turn around to encounter one of the huntsmen, Erich. My eyes widen in surprise. He stands a little more than an arm's length away; I have never been so close to him – to any man for many a year. His expression is sad, concerned, waiting. Like the previous night, I feel my cheeks warm under his gaze and I glance towards the lake once more.

"Where shall you go?" he asks quietly.

My shoulders shag. "I do not know. I could fly when a swan. But now, I do not know how…" I trail off, at a loss how to make myself clear, and hug myself tightly.

The silence is so long I think he has left, and something inside me sinks. I tell myself it is the bright light sparkling over the lake's surface that causes my eyes to water.

"What if someone helped you learn? Helped you explore possible paths?"

In a moment I discover it _was_ Erich's voice; he stands a little nearer now, a new light in his face. He understands…

"Yes," I reply. And I place my hand in his open one.

THE END


End file.
